B. The Games We Play

B.08. Stepford Smiler

Harly shifted her weight. She wore a rare frown, her brow furrowing.

She stared at Roulette's cards. Each of her friends' faces wore an expression of eerie calm. Too unnatural to be considered peaceful.

"You kidnapped them." It sounded like a statement but there was accusation hidden in her tone.

Roulette placed the cards in front of him. "Nothing personal. Just business."

Harly reached into her pocket and for her Powerine baton. A quick glance toward the mooks on either side of her made her rethink pulling it out, so she just tightened her grip on it.

"Just business?"

"With your father," he said. "Unfortunately it involves you and by extension your friends." He spoke as if this was a run-of-the-mill transaction.

"I thought we could make a game out of it," he added cheerfully.

Harly loved games and all, but this...

"What do you want with us?" she demanded.

"Like I said, this is between me and Phineas. He doesn't want me to get the rest of that orb's power. He said it will 'drive me insane'. Ridiculous!"

"I don't know, you do seem a bit... crazy." Harly said. "I should know as I am as well."

"The best people are. It's the only way you Powerines of reality can process the sheer scope of your power."

It just occurred to Harly that her father once trusted him enough to let him into the troupe. The troupe was their family, people they trusted. Her dad told him their identities as Powerines. It hurt knowing how serious his betrayal actually was.

"But anyway we're getting off track." Roulette said. "We tried stealing the orb but there are magical protections in place to keep us away. Sooo we must use another way."

"Which is..."

"Taking what he cares most about and blackmailing him of course. This is where you come in." He said cheerfully. "We need your soul as a bargaining chip.

"The thing is, because of your powers, you are a hard person to kidnap. So we are using your friends as a means to get your soul.

"So unless you want to come willingly-" He looked expectedly at Harly, who shook her head in annoyance. "-we have a game for you to win back your friends' sou- Hey! Are you texting while I'm monolouging?!"

Harly looked up from her phone. "Oh sorry. You were just talking so long, I mean this chapter already passed 388 words."

Roulette glared at her. "I'm getting to the point."

He laid down the cards. "The game is simple. I'll give you a riddle, the riddle's answer will lead you to another area in the fair. Once there we will play a game. Win and you get one of your friends' souls and the opportunity to invite an ally, someone already in the fair, to help you."

He slided one of the cards toward Harly. She tried to grab it but it disappeared back into Roulette's hand.

"Lose and you give your own soul or a companion's as collateral."

Roulette gestured to the cards Harly is holding. A 'five of a kind'. Four aces and a joker. Harly placed them into hammerspace. To be summoned when needed.

"Anything else I need to know?" Harly asked carefully.

"Not that I can think of right now."

Roulette held out his hand. Harly hesitated. Verbal contracts were tricky, not having the terms written down means it's difficult to keep track of the terms and if someone didnt mention something important when they shook, they would have to negotiate it later on.